


Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for.

by be_a_rebel



Series: Brothers!AU [1]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Incest, Infidelity, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-18
Updated: 2010-07-18
Packaged: 2017-10-10 15:49:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/101446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/be_a_rebel/pseuds/be_a_rebel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal's head of the Caffrey family business now but he always feels more like a Burke than anything else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for.

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** Oh, if I owned White Collar right now, it would be one fucked up show.
> 
> **A/N:** This fic is set in an alternate universe where Peter and Neal are brothers. And part of a crime family. Sorry? *hides* The title is a quote from Clarence Darrow.

Neal Caffrey's life has always been unduly complicated.

He likes to say that that's partly the reason he likes to steal. Theft is a simple process. You make up a plan, and a back up plan and then a list of contingencies. You carry it out.

His brother, Peter Burke, would say he's full of shit.

Peter thinks that Neal likes to steal because of hubris, because he loves the sense of accomplishment of having thwarted any number of people/security systems/pompous museum owners.

They are both wrong. Neal likes to steal because he's trying to impress his older brother. He's been trying to achieve this goal since he was ten and stole Annie Faye's lunchbox and brought it to Peter, big grin on his little face.

Annie's big brother came after Neal two hours later.

Peter's been protecting Neal all of his life. At some point, that turned into taking part in Neal's crazy albeit genius heists schemes.

As Peter's wife Elizabeth is fond of saying, at least life with Neal is never boring.

*

Before Neal's mom was Neal's mom, she was Peter's mom. The woman went through husbands like most people go through Ritz crackers. She's probably on number five right now. Neal hasn't met his other siblings. He doesn't care to.

Peter was always around. Peter taught him how to tie his laces, knot his ties, play golf. Peter frowned at him as he went into the Caffrey family trade.

Peter's handed him condoms when he was fifteen and looking to nail Annie Faye. Peter's held his hair back while he's thrown up hastily drunken scotch, Peter's wrestled a still hot gun from his shaking hands, Peter has hugged him, awkwardly, gently when his father died.

Neal's head of the Caffrey family business now but he always feels more like a Burke than anything else.

*

It's very fortunate that Neal and El get along so well. Peter often wakes up on Sunday mornings to find his wife and brother sharing a cup of coffee, shoulders pressed together while they read the entertainment section of the paper.

Sometimes Neal will have a casual arm slung across El and Peter's stomach will tighten.

It's not that he doesn't trust his brother. He knows Neal finds his wife attractive, he knows the look Neal gets when he sees a woman he wants, that half smile and straightening of shoulders. He doesn't blame Neal. His wife is beautiful. More than that, she is charming and witty and wise in ways that Peter will never be.

He knows Neal wants to fuck his wife. He sees it in the way Neal sits ramrod straight whenever they watch a movie together, darting looks at El in Peter's arms. He tries so hard to hide it when he's around the two of them and Peter thinks about telling Neal that he knows, that it's okay, that if El was married to Neal he'd want to fuck her too because she is that woman, the kind you'd break any kind of rule for.

He's not sure he'd be able to resist.

Sometimes Peter is really glad that his brother is a better man than him.

*

Neal likes to steal cars sometimes. It's a stupid and reckless activity and doesn't really match the M.O of his subtle, complex art heists but he does it anyway.

It's a little gift to himself. If he manages to not think about his brother and his brother's wife for a solid month, or rather, not think too much, he can steal a car. Any car.

It doesn't happen more than twice a year. Neal doesn't have that kind of self control.

He thinks Peter doesn't know about it.

He's wrong. Peter knows about it because for about a month the skin around Neal's eyes tightens and he refuses multiple invitations to dinner and El's mouth gets worried and unhappy and Peter hates his little brother just a little because El loves Neal, she loves him, and he's the only one who's stupid enough not to see it.

If Peter were an ordinary man, he'd be jealous.

If he didn't love his brother so much, he'd kill him.

*

El said Neal's name in bed once. Just once.

Neal was decked out in a tuxedo and he had the bright, happy look he always got right before a big heist and Peter could see he was making El crazy. He saw the way her hand tightened on her clutch, her eyes following Neal across the ballroom and back.

He was making her crazy. Peter could understand.

She attacked Peter the second they got home, up against the door, her mouth wild and needy. He dragged her up to their bed because he didn't want this to be quick, not when she was alight with need for Neal and it should've hurt when she sobbed Neal's name into her palm while his tongue lingered on her clit but it didn't.

It felt right.

They don't talk about it. He doesn't think she's embarrassed about it but it isn't something they can fix. It's a heavy weight between them and sometimes Peter thinks about calling Neal up and telling him to come over and fuck his wife. He thinks about writing Neal a little instruction manual, telling him to start from her neck and to play with her while they're fully clothed, his hands under her skirt, just pressed against her underwear because it makes El wild, the constriction of it all. He thinks about telling Neal that El loves it from behind, loves being fingered while Peter is draped over her, breathing into her ear. Her eyes go hot when he pulls her arms behind her and binds her wrists together with one of his ugly (as Neal would say) ties. He'd tell Neal to wear the fedora because it makes El crazy, to kiss her ankles because it makes her giggle, to lift her up and swing her around because it makes her laugh.

He thinks about telling Neal all of this but he can't bear the thought of them touching each other without him there.

His wife is in love with him and in love with his brother and there's nothing any of them can do about it.

*

Neal ends up spending a night in jail while they question him over some suspected forgeries.

Peter is furious and his mouth is tight and Neal is exhausted and just wants to slide his hands under Peter's jacket and kiss him on his angry mouth, just once. Maybe it'll fix everything, end the recklessness that keeps sweeping over him in waves, making him leave calling cards and climb higher into his own ego.

Neal's loved his brother all his life and he's wanted him since he was thirteen. He dreams about Peter all the time and he jerks off to the thought of Peter and Peter's wife and he is lost, always, because he cannot have this, he cannot do this and Peter's anger is the only thing that keeps him alive.

Peter grabs his wrist, tightly, and drags him out of the station and Neal is breathless, mouth dry and cock hard and Neal wonders if Peter knows about the men, if Peter still has him tailed and has pictures of him kissing dark haired strangers on their doorsteps, if Peter's had photographs taken of him from windows, black and white images of him kneeling, of him lying in sheets with his hands sunk through short, tidy hair.

Neal has a type. He's never pretended otherwise.

If Peter knows, he isn't letting on. Neal can't help but admire his brother for his reticence.

They don't talk and for once Peter takes Neal straight to the Caffrey mansion and not to El.

Peter doesn't get out of the car. Neal tries to stroll into his house in a casual fashion but his knees tremble and he shuts his eyes until he hears Peter drive off.

*

It takes a few weeks but things get better. Neal sleeps with a tall red head with the sweetest smile and manages to not think of El more than 7 times.

El makes Peter go dancing and it's embarrassing for both of them but they end up clinging to each other, laughing hysterically and Peter suddenly feels like they might be okay. Neal might be a fuck up, but they'll be okay.

They go over to Neal's and fall on his couch, laughing, while Neal watches them with the largest grin Peter's ever seen and Peter is happy, joyous even, despite El's imitation of him flailing about like a fish on the dance floor.

Neal watches them put their arms around each other and there isn't that slight hint of pain but insane affection instead and Peter feels sure that they'll make it out of this, somehow.

Turns out he couldn't have been more wrong.

*

They pull off a major bank heist and come so close to getting caught, so close that Peter's neck is still sweaty and his hands seem to believe that they're still clinging to the steering wheel and they won't uncurl.

Neal is swinging El around their living room and Peter wants to be angry with him, with his nonchalant attitude but he can't, not really, even though he almost lost Neal tonight and he's never wanted to touch his little brother more, to grab him by his shoulders and shake him and make him see how much Peter stands to lose by him. Neal destroys him some nights and tonight is one of those nights because despite everything Peter can't be angry, not when Neal is laughing like that, laughing like he used to when he was sixteen and Mr.Caffrey was still alive and Neal believed in something.

Peter doesn't know how he's still alive sometimes.

His wife is beautiful in Neal's arms and they're sharing a bottle of wine like they're teenagers and for once Neal isn't uncomfortable at all and has settled with El draped over his lap.

When Neal takes liberties he goes all the way. El has her arms around Neal's neck and she looks so perfect with him, little fairy queen and he's crazy with love for her, his resilient wife and he's crazy with love for Neal, his crazy, brilliant, beautiful brother and he really doesn't know how he's still alive sometimes.

He still doesn't know how he hasn't managed to kill Neal for sleeping with all those men, for pretending they're Peter, as if any of them know Neal the way Peter does. Peter knows every scar, every line, every parking ticket and gym membership. He knows every girl Neal almost got pregnant and every time Neal's fancied himself in love.

He doesn't know how he hasn't managed to kill Neal for letting them touch him.

Neal kisses El on the cheek and it's as if they all pause, waiting, right before El turns her mouth and kisses Neal, strong mouth on his and Neal is rigid under her, before he kisses her back, brokenly and Peter can't blame him, can't blame them at all because he understands and he doesn't know they managed without it. Neal's hands are white on her hips and Peter wants to tell him to cup one breast because she loves that but he doesn't, his tongue is too heavy and Neal is too perfect.

They don't look at him, not really and Peter is relieved because if they did he wouldn't sit still, he couldn't, not while El is shifting in Neal's lap, rubbing against his cock and Peter wants to take Neal's cock in his mouth, scrape his teeth over the head through his pants and listen to Neal scream. He wants it and he's aware that he could have it but he shouldn't, he shouldn't and he needs to keep sane so that he doesn't.

Watching Neal unzip himself and fuck his wife hurts more than he thought it would. He staggers out midway through and locks himself into the lower floor bathroom and jerks off into the toilet and tries to feel relief that he didn't see Neal come. It only takes him a few minutes.

He opens the door a little but doesn't come out. His wife and brother cry out his name and he shudders and locks himself in again.

*

He's in love with Neal, he always has been but knowing it and seeing Neal look at him like he wants him are two very different things.

Peter can't meet Neal's eyes.

Neal is unabashed about it. He stares at Peter all the time and flirts with him and is more handsy than ever, draping an arm over Peter's shoulder, touching his waist, grabbing his wrist, leaning against him.

Peter is going mad with it. El is sucking him off every morning before he goes out and he doesn't know if it's penance or a thank you present but he's willing to bet that it's the latter. El is sucking him off every morning and shoving his face between her legs every night and she's sweet and quiet in the meantime as if she's just waiting on him to figure something out but he can't face it, not now when he's hard 3/4ths of the day and Neal clearly wants to sleep with him and he doesn't know how he'll resist when Neal stops being subtle and realizes he can have Peter whenever he wants, he just needs to press Peter against a wall and kiss him. Peter is lost and he doesn't know how he's ever going to come back from the edge.

He doesn't know if he wants to.

When Neal smiles at him, dangerous, and tells him that he's going to eat his wife out in front of him, Peter can't help but slide to his knees and suck Neal's cock through his pants, shutting his eyes when Neal cries out and grips his hair, painfully tight.

He can't help himself. He doesn't even try.


End file.
